The equipment is everything

When it comes to our jobs as an inspector and photographer there isn't JUST one tool that gets the job done. A while back I spoke to the importance of the photograph being everything. The truth is the equipment that goes behind getting the right photo is far more than just a camera or cell phone. The equipment that goes into inspecting a home isn't just a set of eyes. There is digital equipment, large scale equipment like ladders, and small hand tools to help an inspector give a quality inspection. We have worked with some awesome vendors to get the items that we really need for our jobs. I have been really happy working with several camera companies but truly KEH Camera has been a lifesaver for me. I can trust them when I make decisions about my business needs. I can't say enough about them.

Brad continues to build his repertoire of tools constantly as the industry is evolving. There is never a lack of new technology to assist what he does. We never stop learning, and never stop gaining tools and equipment in work or in life.

I fell as though the number one tool we strive to use is our quality customer service. Being ourselves, being personable, approachable, comfortable, and honest is very important to us. We love communicating with people on a personal level. We want our clients to be comfortable, and confident in their decision to work with us. It's the way customer service should be.

We are looking forward to serving the San Antonio community for many years.

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[Inspector Mode]

Buying and selling a home is nerve racking to say the least. One of things that is at the top of that list is having your home inspected only to find out all the "bad things" you don't want to know if you are the seller, and well the buyer too. But let's call it like it is shall we. If you are buying a home and you are putting your hard-working money into maybe the most expensive purchase one could make personally. If you are the seller, you want all your cards on the table for a profitable negotiation. Knowledge is power.

To give everyone a better understanding though of what home inspector will or will not be doing Brad sat down with me to give me a better understanding of his job as a home inspector and I want to share that with all of you, so you have better understanding too. Maybe this is your first or fifteenth home buying experience or you are a new real estate agent. Our goal today is to give you information.

1. The first thing to understand is that the inspector is a neutral non-bias party to the seller, buyer, and real estate agent. They hold no stake in the findings, or how it affects the result of sale.

2. Inspectors are NOT code enforcement. There will be no fines handed out!

3. Inspectors do not fix anything. They only observe conditions.

4. Inspectors are to give a snapshot of the current general conditions as they are in that moment of MOST operating systems of a home.

5. Inspectors should report immediate safety concerns right away.

6. Inspectors can give recommendations as to the types of repairman or contractors you should seek to make repairs.

7. Inspectors will usually review findings in person and provide a report to the client whom paid for the report.

8. The inspection report belongs to the paying client. They can choose who they share it with.

The information provided by the inspector is knowledge and knowledge is power. It is a tool for sellers and buyers alike. Whatever the findings are in a given report may or may not be of concern to a potential buyer or seller. It simply is giving the information to make an informed decision. The "bad things" are going vary by perspective, but the report is tool to provide that knowledge.

Investing in a property for personal use you can get the necessary repairs and know your home will withstand the test of time. Investing in income property is a risk and once those risks are minimalized you can move forward. Investment properties can be maintained and repaired as necessary. Keeping up with them is a challenge. There is software that has the potential to help property managers alleviate tasks and free up time with Buildium Software. It's worth checking out with 14-day free trial.

I hope today's read has proved insightful. There will be more information and resources coming your way soon.

[Photographs: Are they really necessary ?]

Understanding the importance of Real Estate Photography.

Prime reasons that photography is the key component to a home seller are; classified ads are a thing of the past, real estate brochures/print magazines cannot accurately keep up with the hot inventory turn over by the time they print, and quiet frankly everything is has gone digital. Everyone is looking with their eyes these days. There are real estate listings EVERYWHERE online. I am not even going to sit and try to list them all. Let's face it you gotta have pictures. Ask yourself what, and how do YOU search for real estate ? Blindly ? Probably not. There are very few buyers that buy a home sight unseen and if they do they are probably investing to flip anyways.

Zillow facts and figures show the digital medium for marketing sits respectively at the top of the list with computer, mobile, and smartphone resources with print media dropping to the bottom.

Buying Resources Statistics provided by Zillow.com

As you can also see one of the regrets of homebuyers was also wanting to use additional or different online resources.

Home buyers regrets of things they wish they'd done differently

Do you want this for an ad ?

4/2.5/2 home with library/loft, eat in breakfast room, light airy white kitchen, stately foyer, formal and casual living area, split his and hers main suite bathrooms with garden tub.......... or would you prefer to just SEE IT ?

Ask your realtor how they plan to market your home. Are they going to hire a professional photographer ? You'd be shocked at the number of them that do it from their cellphones. And the next statement is "why is that so bad?" Ask yourself that same question again. Would you do it without proper lighting, staging, and editing let someone come in and photograph your home as is. Try it yourself and then ask yourself if you SHOULD try to sell your home like that.

In next weeks blog I will talk in regards to getting your home ready for the photo session. I also have a short video on my services webpage also if you want to check it out as well.

See you next week.